Once again, I feel I will end up being a voice of dissent in this weeks Wednesday Wake Up Prompt from New World Creative Union. Natasha provided a trailer of the film Zeitgeist, a movie I have not seen. Check it out and form your own opinion. At first appearance, it seems to be a condemnation twentieth century warfare and human rights abuses, most likely heavily slanted towards hatred of western governments. What little I have read about it (admittedly, from Wikipedia which is of questionable reliability) indicates that it is loaded with conspiracy theories (just because you are paranoid does not mean that everyone is not out to get you) and anti-religious rhetoric. Research it and form your own opinion. Mine comes from an admitted right-wing, conservative, capitalist bias. Can you look past yours?

Where Dreams Are Made

In the place
where dreams are made
a marionette with no strings
dances with an unwounded soldier.

Tables are set each day
with feast for the dirty and clean
of every belief,
and each do their share
for the right to partake.

Weapons are a thing of history,
an oddity of no conceivable use,
evil defeated,
all rights respected,
no women or children abused.

Sadly…
this is not that place.

Some tables are destined
to be empty,
because the takers
never produce.

Guns are still needed,
lest we all suffer abuse.
Soldiers die
because some things
are worth fighting for.
Yes,
sometimes,
it is the only way.

There is always a
puppet master
pulling the strings,
only the truly naive
believe
their side exempt.

There is evil in this world; plain and simple.It is not interested in talking to you.
It does not want to be your friend.
It does not respond to negotiation.
It does not respect a position of weakness.
It does not play by your rules.
Its only interest is power and domination.
Its only acceptable outcome is your complete and total submission.

You have two basic decisions to make:

1) Choose who you think is evil(this one could be a matter of degrees. I do not pretend that there are not elements of evil on all sides)

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13 responses to “Where Dreams Are Made”

I love this, Mark. You explore the depths of what it means to be a citizen of our world. I would add to decision one, that it is not only “who” you think is evil, but “what” you think is evil as well. I can feel evil in me…it’s my choice to act on it, or let it be…..sometimes I think that is what the darkness in our poetry is, a release of evil.

No doubt about it Mark, yes there is some evil in this world – we can debate as to why, greed, power, control – have often wondered why it is so hard to live in peace side by side – complete with differences appreciating all – ‘Imagine’ – Lib

My problem is not with systems, political sides, or left or right…my problem is with those “people” who have invaded those systems, those parties, for personal agenda based on megalomania. As one great religious leader stated…absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believe many of these people strive for the money…only because in the world our society has allowed to evolve, that’s how most judge power. Each and every philosophy, belief, religion, has been born out of noble ideas…left to be twisted and warped by those people who are willing to ignore consciousness and compassion for their fellow humans. I think our issue goes so far beyond the labels we have chosen to identify ourselves with… I am human…and that’s the only definition I am willing to commit to.

I can agree with most of that. There is something of value that can be culled from any belief system in its original intent, but most have been corrupted by individuals in search of power. We then end up lumping everyone in that system into one mindset, whether justified or not. We end up living by generalities, especially when it comes to voting. “I will not vote for that person because they are a liberal.”” I am going to vote for that person just because they are conservative.” we end up not taking into account that they are both blithering idiots high on graft, power and corruption. Most politicians seem to end up in someone’s pocket; whether it be corporate, labor, social organizations, etc. it is one of the reasons I believe congressional term limits would have an immediate positive effect on US politics.

That is an interesting statement Susie: we become the weapons. Very true. It is not bombs and guns that are tearing apart the world but the rhetoric that leads to their use.
Thanks for coming by and reading!

Certainly the world is an intensely complicated and power-driven place, far more complex and nuanced – and also random== than most idealogues on either side would like to believe. By random, I mean that there are all kinds of actors/players with all kinds of different agendas. Conspiracy theoriests think that they are coming up with something complex but I frankly think that most “conspiracies” as envisaged by the theorists are far more simple than the reality – which is just that there are many many many people and groups with agendas of all kinds. At least that’s what I think – I am sure that there are many tacit things and agreements int he world =but I think conspiracy theorists on both sides tend to be just kind of simplistic. Anyway, thanks. k.

I tend to agree. I am sure there are all kinds of back room deals that we do not (and should not) know about. But for the most part conspiracy theories are far reached ideas by someone looking to place blame, or divert it.

dang. your opening stanza is a gripper…love the imagery in it…like susie i think we are presented the lesser of two evils often…and in the end freedom is not the right to vote…they are still decidingin who the candidates are for us…def a strong write man

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